Balanced
by Sanded Silk
Summary: Neji never saw a girl play baseball the way she did. NejiSaku. Discontinued
1. Chapter 1

-Sigh- Here's another multi-chaptered story, except I think this one's gonna be a LOT more than four chapters... I'm contemplating whether I'll post this or not... if I do, then I'll have to write ALL THE WAY TO THE **END**, and if I don't, I won't get that accomplished feeling I always get when I post a new NejiSaku ficlet... o.O

I've decided to post it; for the sake of all my hungry NejiSaku readers out there... Yay for you, boooooooooooohoooooooooooo for me... XD

Summary: Neji is a basketball player in his small community. Everyone knows him in town; even his science teacher knows that he plays basketball! But he prefers to keep to himself when he practices in his private court, out in the woods. One day, he decides- on a whim- to watch a baseball game, and one of the two competing teams announces that they recruited a girl! Neji watches her move, and decides that he would like to teach her some of his own skills in basketball...

**Disclaimer: Naruto _still_ belongs to Masashi Kishimoto... shuddup shuddup shuddup, I'm working on it!!**

--Sanded Silk-- ♥

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Neji couldn't believe that he had gotten himself into this mess. He had planned fully on spending the quiet, summer Saturday by himself on his private basketball court, which he found on one of his roaming adventures, deep in the woods that surrounded Konoha. But nooo, his friend- Naruto- had invited him to a baseball game, and his uncle had said that the poor boy had gone through all that trouble to organize the game, wouldn't it be a shame if Neji missed it too? 

And so here Hyuuga Neji was, the star of basketball in his community, sitting on a white-hot bleacher, watching _baseball_.

The only reason why he had _somewhat_ agreed to come was the rumor that one of the two all-boy teams playing in this game had recruited a girl. She wasn't just any girl, though; word also had it that her movements were like water, and her body seemed to be in harmony with the rest of her surroundings whenever she played the sport. She also had wild pink hair that barely brushed her shoulders and sharp, sharp emerald green eyes.

Naruto had confirmed the truth of this rumor with a twinkle in his blue eyes. "She's the best I've ever seen," He'd said. Then, he'd leaned in really close to Neji and motioned for Neji to lean in too. "I'll let you in on a secret, 'kay?" Naruto had said in a comically mysterious way. "She'll be keeping her hair hidden in a hat, and making a grand appearance when I give her the cue. It'll be awesome!"

But Neji still didn't really know what to expect when he stepped into the bleachers to take a seat. He took a swig of his water bottle, slightly fazed by the heat of the summer day, as he sat, waiting for the game to begin.

One team seemed stupid. Its players wore black shirts- _perfect_ for a hot, sunny day- and long jeans. Although their players were all tall and strong-looking, their choice of apparel really didn't help their reputation.

The other team seemed a bit better. They wore t-shirts that looked like they were home-designed. Every player had a number, 1-16. The t-shirts themselves were pale yellow- not too sharp to the eye under the sun- and the writing was in blue. Every player also wore a dark blue baseball cap and dark blue shorts. People around Neji were whispering. "Do you see the girl?" "I think she's that one..."

Finally, the game started. The pitching team- the one that wore the bad choice of clothes- seemed pretty good at their job. They hit the ball pretty far out into the field, and dirt sprung from the ground as they dashed for the bases. Neji still couldn't tell which player was the girl.

A player from the pitching team walked up to the base, swaggering cockily. He picked up the bat, spat on the ground at his feet, and gave the pitcher an evil eye. The pitcher didn't react, and pitched the ball hard.

The batter lashed the ball with the bat. The crack shot out in painful sound waves like lightning into everyone's ears, and everyone flinched and turned to pay attention to the game. The batter dropped the bat and ran almost immediately after he hit the ball. The speed of the ball was amazing. It was nothing but a white flash in the air, whizzing by everyone's heads. It seemed hopeless for the jerseys team.

But then, to Neji's flabbergastment, a short, lithe player from the field team dashed into play from nowhere. He was as light as air on his feet as he dashed down the field after the ball, his feet barely grazing the grass, flying as fast as the ball itself. Then, he leaped up into the air, and for a moment, it seemed like he was flying as he threw and stretched his liquid body out two feet into the air above the ground.

SNAP! He caught the ball in his mitt easily, and before he landed that bird-like landing on his toes, he had thrown the ball to the second-base player, and the batter- to everyone's surprise- got out.

But no one was watching the batter or the second-base player. Everyone was, instead, watching the agile baseball player. His hat had fallen off from the speed of his dash after the ball, and a wild streak of pink hair had unfolded, escaping from the cap. As soon as the player realized his hat was off, which was after he had landed from his gymnast leap, he snapped his face up to glare at the audience with defiant emerald eyes.

It was that girl.

The whole crowd was silent. The girl stood up to her full height. Now, Neji could tell that the player really was a girl. Her body, clothed in baggy and boyish clothes as it was, still held the small, delicate figure of a girl, and her face had much softer curves than that possible of a boy. Her eyes, narrowed and slanted as they were, still held a feminine shape and appearance to them. Her lips, thin and parched, were dipped into a knowing smirk.

Suddenly, the whole crowd burst into applause. The batter looked around, confused, as though he thought everyone were clapping for him. The girl, not bothering to bow, replaced her cap, allowing random strands of pink hair to show now, and walked swiftly, evenly, to the baseball diamond. Her teammates high-fived her and gave her quick compliments. She nodded civilly to each player that congratulated her, not being the least cocky. She could have plastered the most smug smirk on her pretty face and swaggered around like the queen of the field, but she didn't.

This attracted Neji.

As the game continued, the girl continued also to make awesome moves on the field. She proved to be a pretty good batter as well, hitting the ball with just the right amount of force at just the right time, sending it flying out deep into the field.

When the game ended, the girl had emerged and lead the team to a stark winning score, 19-2.

After everyone had filed out of the stadium, there were refreshment stands set up around the stadium, selling a variety of food. People began to mill around, talking and laughing, mostly about the recruited girl. Neji cought a simple hamburger and a random soda pop, mainly looking around for the mysterious girl. He had something to ask of her.

When he finally saw her, he wormed his way through the crowd that had gathered around her. He could tell that she was getting slightly annoyed at the crowd, which mostly consisted of proud adults that she probably knew and a whole bunch of little kids with notebooks and pencils, waiting for her autograph.

When he finally reached her, he pointed to a far-off hot dog stand and hollered, "HEY, THE HOT DOG MAN THERE IS OFFERING TWO HOT DOGS FPR 50 CENTS EACH!" The crowd immediately disbanded, everyone heading for the hot dog stand.

The girl gasped a deep breath, while Neji waited in front of her. She wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, smiling at him breathlessly. "Thanks a lot," She said, in the light voice of hers. She stuck her other hand out to shake his. "Haruno Sakura."

Neji glanced at her hand, and shook it for a few moments. "Hyuuga Neji."

She let go first. "I know you have something to say, so say it. I still have yet to eat."

Neji beckoned to the multiple food stands available. "By all means, go ahead," He said. "I'll talk to you as we walk."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You have something important to ask of me, don't you," She said, and turned away to buy her hot dog and soda.

As they walked along, Neji explained, as concisely as possible- which turned out to be in one simple sentence- what he wanted exactly of her. "I want to offer you a chance to learn basketball," He said. Sakura stopped in mid-bite of her hot dog, and something flickered in her clear emerald eyes. "Basketball?" She lowered the hot dog. "Are there any other fields of talent you can offer?"

Neji shook his head slowly.

Sakura turned back to her hot dog. "No," She said simply before biting into the bread and sauce-covered meat.

Neji's jaw nearly hit the ground. "What?!"

Sakura sighed, and swallowed before she continued talking, looking troubled. "I can't take basketball. I'm sorry."

And before Neji could ask why, she had turned away and melded into the crowd.

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**A/N:** How am I doing? Please **_REVIEW_**!!!

--Sanded Silk--


	2. Chapter 2

Second chappie! I hope you all liked the first one!!

XD In this chappie, Neji finds out where Sakura lives, and delves further into his case of why she doesn't want to learn basketball...

**Disclaimer: Just shut your stupid mouth and READ MY STORY.**

--Sanded Silk-- ♥

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Neji didn't know how, but he finally found out where the mysterious Sakura lived. It turns out she lived right on the edge of the forest, along the path that Neji took to get to his secret basketball court. He walked up the white steps, onto the shaded porch, and knocked lightly on the door. 

A woman with long pink hair opened the door, and seemed surprised to see a silver-eyed stranger standing on her porch. "Er," She said, opening the door slightly more and smiling, flustered. "You are...?"

Neji bowed slightly. "My name is Hyuuga Neji. I'm here to see Haruno Sakura, please."

The woman subconciously fingered the hem of her apron, but finally stepped aside. "Well then, come in," She said, smiling. Neji didn't bother to question her permission, and stepped inside.

Sakura was sitting on a white couch in the back of the living room, reading a thick novel by the light flowing in through the back door. She looked up, surprised to feel the presence of a stranger, and narrowed her eyes when she saw who it was.

"Hyuuga," She said. She slid her bookmark into the page, closed the novel, and set it aside, standing up. She was wearing a pink fuzzy sweater, simple jeans and white socks.

The woman who let Neji in raised her eyebrows as she glanced from Sakura to Neji. "You know this young man, Sakura?"

Sakura smiled at the woman. "Don't worry, mom," She said reassuringly, and returned her gaze to Neji, her gaze suddenly blank, though the smile was still stretching her lips. "I'll take care of this." Her mother, still uncertain, nodded and left the room silently.

The two stood in the room in silence for a moment, before Sakura allowed the light to return to her eyes. "Do you want to drink something?" She asked brightly, heading towards the kitchen. Neji was caught off guard by this question. "What?"

Sakura pointed at the sofa. "Sit down, and tell me what you want to drink." Neji sat down like a robot, and opened his mouth. "Um..." He then noticed that she was holding a cup in both of her hands. "Whatever you have in there," He said, pointing at the cup. Sakura glanced into her cup and shrugged. "I guess you like herbal tea, then." It was Neji's turn to shrug.

As Sakura turned and headed toward the kitchen to prepare another cup of tea, Neji looked around at his surroundings. The room was alight with solely the light flowing in from the back door and large windows. There was a low coffee table stretched out in front of him, and across from him was another sofa, almost identical to the one he was sitting on. The floors were hardwood and polished, and the walls were painted a pale gold, helping the balance of the light in the room. Flowers in vases stood on small tables in the corners of the room, and curtains framed every window, including the one inthe back door.

When Sakura came in and handed Neji his cup of tea, he took it with both hands from her offering grip and took a polite sip, before setting it down onto the table.

"You came to ask me again about the basketball issue, didn't you?" Sakura said, smiling and sliding down onto the couch beside Neji. Neji's eyes widened. _What?_ She beat him to it?

"Yes."

Sakura's eyes twinkled like stars. "What if I say that I've thought it over, and I still refuse?"

Neji frowned. "Then I would press harder and end up forcing you to tell me why you refuse to take basketball to firmly."

Sakura looked away. "Maybe it's because... I don't think basketball is my thing?" Neji almost exploded. "But the skills recquired in baseball are practically the same as the skills recquired in basketball!" Sakura looked at him coolly. "If that's so, then why don't you start taking baseball?"

Neji frowned. "Because I don't want to. No offense to you, but baseball just isn't appealing to me."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, amused. "What if I said that the reason you just stated is also my reason for sticking to baseball and refusing to try basketball?"

Neji couldn't think of a witty comeback, so he just glared at the pink-haired, smirking girl sitting before him.

Sakura rested her cup and her hands on her lap, glancing down into the cup. "Many people have come to me from all over town after that baseball game," She said. Neji raised an eyebrow. What was that sudden drop in the tone of her voice?

"They offered to teach all sorts of sports to me. Volleyball. Soccer. And of course, basketball. I turned every single offer down." Sakura looked back up at Neji. The smile was gone from her face. "And I have a reason behind all of those refusals."

"First, you need to promise to not tell anyone about what I am about to tell you." Neji nodded silently, eager for her to go on. Sakura sighed, and looked away. "I don't mean to sound stuck-up or anything, but I've been really talented in every field anyone has thrown at me. Art. Music. Cooking, even. And of course, I have tried basketball, and am very good at it." Neji opened his mouth to ask a question, but Sakura lifted a hand to stop him. He fell silent, and let the question pass.

"I have a brother in college, who lives in Suna. Ever since he was born, they tell me, he was completely talentless." Sakura blinked, and stared into the depths of the dark liquid in her cup. "He had nothing to himself in life. He got horrible grades. Girls hated him at school. And he couldn't do any sort of sport. He thought that life just wasn't fit for him for as long as I could remember."

"And then I came along. I grasped and blossomed in every single thing my parents made me try, and that fact killed my brother. I used to be blind to his pain, but I noticed around the time when I was in grade school."

"At first, I knew that he really tried to love me. After all, having a talent in everything wasn't my fault, was it? I just happened to be born with that gene, and he hadn't. But then, I knew, he started to hate me. Every time someone mentioned me in front of him, every time he saw me, his eyes would go dark, and his mouth would shut, and he would speak as little as possible to me, or about me, depending on the situation. I tried to get him to open up, to make him see that I was truly sorry for our situation. But I never got through to him."

"And then, in high school, his physical education teacher introduced basketball to him." Sakura finally looked up, and there was a spark in her bright eyes. "From then on, basketball was his life and breath. It was the only thing that got him into college. It was the first ever thing he had ever felt good at, and it made him absolutely jovial." Sakura's spirits lifted. "And then, he became open to me again. He talked to me, asked me about school and friends, and even took me out to shop or to watch a movie every now and then."

And then her gaze became pained. "Imagine what would happen if he found out that his baby sister could outshine him, even in the only thing he was any good at. Imagine all the things that would drive him to. Depression. Crime. And if I know him as well as I think I do, suicide is another possible outcome."

"And maybe you'd say, just now, 'Why don't you try basketball, but keep it a secret from your brother?' Well, it's not that easy. Whatever I may try to conceal my learning basketball from him, my parents- and eventually my brother- would find out."

"My brother has, just now, stopped hating me, and I don't really want him to start hating me again for as long as possible."

Sakura's gaze became serious as she looked intently at Neji. Neji squirmed under her gaze.

"Now do you understand, Neji?"

Neji was afraid he did, but he couldn't bring himself to state the reason. Instead, he allowed her to continue.

"For the sake of my brother, I must not start any more fields of talent. Especially basketball."

Neji glared down into the murky depths of his cup. "Hah," He said, laughing dryly. Sakura didn't seem surprised or offended by his sarcastic tone.

Neji looked up at Sakura, smirking darkly. At this, she hesitated. "Haruno Sakura." He blinked lazily before continuing. "You are the most selfless person I have ever met."

He shook his head, and turned back to the cup of dark liquid he clasped in his hands. "Giving up a chance to open a new path for yourself, for the sake of a talentless brother; I don't think I've ever heard a more sacrificial reason."

He sighed and stood up. "Well then. I won't be bothering you about this situation from now on." Sakura got up, setting down her cup and taking his still half-full one, smiling politely. "That's nice to hear." The two stared at each other. Sakura was the first to look away. "You should go now."

Neji nodded silently, still staring at her. When he finally turned toward the door, Sakura let out a small breath of relief, and followed him to close the front door behind him.

As Neji walked down the pathway leading away from Sakura's house, Sakura walked to a nearby window and watched him. She bit back tears, nearly ripping the delicate tissue of her lips with her teeth.

"I'm sorry, Neji."

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**A/N:** Oh my gosh, why is my writing always so ANGSTY??? AUGH, I CAN'T TAKE THE EMO-NESS ANYMORE!!!!!! 

... -takes a deep breath- ok. Done now.

Plz, people, I'm **_begging_** you all,**_REVIEW_**!!!!!!!! Seriously, I really appreciate when you all favorite/subscribe my story for story alert, but reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Besides, I can't write a good chapter when all of you aren't putting in your thoughts...

--Sanded Silk-- ♥


	3. Chapter 3

Third chapter! Yay! XD

Summary: Well... there isn't very much I can say with this chapter... You have to read it, because a summary will give it all awaaayy... XD

**Disclaimer: Hm... Well, I don't own Naruto, for starters...**

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Neji and Sakura didn't meet for the rest of the summer. They caught glimpses of each other in town, but neither bothered to call to the other. 

Finally, school started.

Neji liked his new teachers fairly well. But not his english teacher. She had a large vocabulary, and when she was yelling at a student, she drew out a lot of unheard-of words, completely befuddling the poor student who she was yelling at. Neji never got yelled at by her- he was too smart to fall into her traps- but watching those poor students fall prey to her large vocabulary was probably worse than being embarassed himself.

One subject that Neji particularily wasn't looking forward to was art. He had no artistic abilities whatsoever, but he had no other choice; he needed to pick another subject, and it was either art or... home economics... which was basically cooking...

Neji knew that Sakura was around his age, maybe a grade younger, but no more. So, he kept his eyes peeled constantly for any sighting of her. However, ever since that time he went over to her house to demand a reason for her refusal, he hadn't seen her. He wasn't sure whether he was glad for this or not.

Nevertheless, no matter how much homework he had each night, Neji refused to let go of his private practice sessions in his secret court. Every day, straight after school, he would change into his shorts and comfortable sneakers, and take his basketball down to the court, staying there for a weekly average of 3 hours per day.

After meeting Sakura, Neji's mind had subconsciously formed for him an imaginary opponent while he was practicing. The person was extremely annoying, yet starkly beautiful; smirking, moving in sync with Neji, always millimeters away from blocking or swatting the ball. This annoyed Neji very much, but the image of the person in his mind was that of someone he really missed.

Yup. His imaginary opponent was Sakura.

She was beautiful in his mind; her pink hair glistening in the sunlight, emerald eyes shining with girlish wisdom, body light and flexible as liquid, moving like a professional basketball player. But none of it was real, and Neji always came crashing down to that realization after every practice, when it was time to go home, and the image of Sakura in his mind faded.

Finally, on the first weekend after school had started, Neji had almost the whole day to himself. He got up bright and early, ate a quick breakfast, grabbed his basketball and jogged down to the court, pocketing a sandwich Hinata made him for lunch before he left.

Neji had planned to get home by dinner time, but self-training carried him away, and by the time he realized that it was time he should be getting home, the sun was completely gone from the sky, and the sky itself was a rosy combination of warm colors. Neji sighed, picked up his ball, and headed home.

After enduring a lecture from his uncle and wolfing down his dinner, Neji grabbed his ball and jogged right back to his private court. This time, someone was there.

Neji noticed a light flowing from the court long before he had arrived to its edge. He frowned. Someone had invaded his secret haven, and was using it.

The person, whoever it was, was actually quite good at basketball. He- or she- had exceptionally light, quick footsteps, and after dribbling the ball once or twice, the thumping would stop for a moment, and then a swish, which meant that the ball had gone smoothly into the net. Sometimes, right before the swish, was a loud THWONG, which meant that the ball had hit the backboard. Then, a bounce of the ball was heard, and the sound of fingers catching the ball smoothly was heard, and the dribbling continued, leading on to more shots.

Neji gently set down his ball and crept up to the edge of the court behind the bushes. With as little rustling as possible, he parted the sharp, short branches of the bush before him and peeked through, nearly falling backwards when he saw the identity of the invader.

Sakura. What was she doing here? Didn't she say she couldn't play basketball?

The source of the light was from a lantern, which was perched on the ground on the far end of the court. Sakura was wearing the clothes she wore for baseball; dark-blue shorts, a white baggy t-shirt with a hand-drawn number 12 on it, and black worn sneakers. She was playing with an old-looking basketball; probably one that belonged to her brother. She jumped what seemed like several feet into the air and flicked her wrists, and in a flash, the ball had traveled up and into the net. She caught the ball in an outward dash, arms outstretched, and dribbled it up for the rebound.

She suddenly stopped and caught the ball, holding it between her hip and her arm, in the dead center of the court. The court was silent for a whole minute. Neji didn't dare to breathe. His heart beat wildly in his chest, pounding in his ears, and the silence bore down on his eardrums mercilessly. He focused his attention on the lantern instead, waiting for something to happen.

And then, in one fluid motion, she turned around to face the bush where Neji was hiding. Neji nearly gasped. The light from the lantern shadowed her slim figure, making her a mysterious-looking sillouhette. Her face was almost completely obscured by her hair, and Neji could see, just barely, that she was slightly frowning.

"Who's there?"

Neji inwardly sighed. This was it.

Setting his ball gently down, Neji stood up and walked out of the bushes into the light.

Sakura nearly dropped her ball. She took a step back, surprised. Neji kept his face completely straight. He could tell, even though her face was shadowed, that Sakura 's jaw had dropped as low as possible, and her eyes were wide open. "N-Neji?"

Neji squinted his eyes, focusing his gaze on the girl before him. He walked closer, stopping until he was right in front of her. Finally, he spoke. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura fixed her gaze on the blacktop. She sighed, before leaning over to place the ball on the ground. Straightening, she met his eye firmly. Neji was almost taken aback. What did she have under her belt now?

"I came here to hone my basketball skills." Neji was confused. "For what?" Sakura sighed again. "For the sake of it. Your visit to me put the idea of trying out basketball in my head, and haunted me for a while. Finally, I gave into the temptation, stole one of my brother's old basketballs, and started coming here every night, after my mother fell asleep."

She gestured toward the lantern, which was still faithfully giving its light. "I won that from someone who found me here, like you did, and challenged me to a competition." Neji was utterly bemused. "You won? And you got this lantern?"

Sakura nodded once, eyes twinkling. "Yup. The dude wasn't so eager to give me the lantern, though. I had to...use force, let's just say."

Neji just stared.

Finally, he moved. He darted out silently, snatching the ball from her hands gently, and stepped around Sakura lightly to shoot the ball neatly into the net. Sakura ducked instinctively. "N-Neji?"

Neji walked to the ball, picked it up, and turned toward Sakura, dribbling the ball evenly. "Well then," He said, smirking slightly. "What do we do now?"

Sakura took a step back, nervous. "What?"

"You heard me." Neji caught the ball neatly as it bounced back up from the ground, and passed it to Sakura. Sakura barely caught it, and stared at Neji questioningly. Neji shrugged slightly, and repeated his question. "What do we do now?"

"Eh..." Sakura knew exactly what he was trying to imply. She dribbled the ball a few times in place, raised the ball, and snapped her wrists. The ball soared into the hoop with a soft swish.

"All right," She said, smiling. "I accept your offer." She walked calmly around him, and retrieved her basketball. "When do we start?"

Neji turned toward the bushes and picked up his own basketball. When he turned around, he was smirking wider than before. "What about your brother?" Sakura frowned slightly, and stared off into the woods. "He..." Sakura turned back to Neji swiftly, her eyes flashing. "He will have nothing to do with my lifestyle. If your offer is up, please, can I take it?"

Neji didn't take another moment to consider her question. "Yes."

Neji never knew that a girl could play basketball so well. She played basketball just like how she played baseball; swiftly, silently, seriously. She could jump high, aim accurately, and run quickly while dribbling. Her body was like silk; lithe, flexible, ephemeral. When she jumped, it was like she had springs on the bottom of her feet; she soared gracefully into the air, a foot or two above the ground, and by then, all of her concentration had flowed into her hands. And with that concentration focused on her hands, still in the air, she would snap her wrists with just the right amount of strength, and the ball would soar to the backboard and into the net.

And this Sakura was just as beautiful and mysterious as the one Neji's mind had concocted. Plus, this one was real. When it was time to go, this Sakura didn't disappear, and Neji didn't come crashing down to a hard realization when it was time to leave. Instead, this Sakura wiped the back of her hand against her mouth, and asked Neji to walk home with her. He agreed, of course.

From then on, every night, Neji would play basketball with Sakura, under the black silk sky and twinkling stars.

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**A/N:** Man, that ending REALLY sucked. Oh well, no flames plz... X3 

Hm, I'll be having trouble continuing this story, because I'm having writer's block on this story... :(

AND **_REVIEW_** plz...

--Sanded Silk--


	4. Chapter 4

Third chapter! Yay! XD

Summary: Well... there isn't very much I can say with this chapter... You have to read it, because a summary will give it all awaaayy... XD

**Disclaimer: ... I can't think of anything to say... :0 --is flustered--**

--Sanded Silk-- ♥

* * *

One day, Neji and Sakura were walking home. In silence, as usual. Nothing had to be said between those two. The silence told all. This was their case most of the time; no words. Just finding comfort in each other's company. 

And on this particular day, something strange happened.

Silence reigned, as usual. Sakura and Neji suspected nothing as they walked out of the woods together, in the direction of Sakura's house.

Then, an ear-splitting sound tore a gaping hole into the silence. Sakura froze, and Neji turned around to see what was the matter. To his shock, a thin line of red had appeared on her cheek, and blood slowly gushed out of the wound. He then realized- with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach- that the sound had been a gunshot, and the gunman's target was Sakura.

Neji wanted so badly all of a sudden to charge in the direction of the gunman and knock his brains loose. He gulped in a few breaths to control himself, and grabbed Sakura by her arm. His priority now was to get her into a safe place.

"RUN!!!" Neji roared, and quickly pushed Sakura in the direction of her house. Still slightly stunned, Sakura stumbled along. Another shot rang out. This time, it grazed her hair. A few strands of pink silky hair detached from her head and floated to the ground. Sakura watched the hair float to the ground, eyes wide and glassy.

Neji gave her one final shove at her porch. Sakura stumbled up the steps and into the house.

Just as Neji was about to step in, a third shot rang out. A sudden surge of pain shot through Neji. His mind blanked, and nothingness overcame his senses. Everything blurred, and appeared reddish-green, as he wavered, trying to stand. His mouth opened in a silent scream of pain, and his eyes widened. The source of the intense pain seemed to be coming from his shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder at it, surprised to see, through his suddenly-impaired vision, that his shoulder was covered in red, sticky blood. His blood.

He had been shot.

Neji fell to the ground in pain- into a puddle of his own blood- and closed his eyes, the cry not yet released from his mouth. Before he lost all consciousness, he heard the scream of Sakura and the slam of the door.

_Sakura._

---

Slowly, Neji's senses revived. He was in a room with a lot of light, on a starchy bed, underneath a thin blanket, sprawled on his stomach. Confused, Neji tried to move, but a searing pain shot through his shoulder, and he fell limp, head dizzy with pain. His eyes shot open, and right away, he noticed that the bed he was on was bordered by a low steel railing. A brown door stood, boring and confining.

Right away, the events of that night flowed into his mind like water, and he realized that he was in the hospital.

A small cry erupted beside him. Neji turned his head slowly, and saw that the source of the cry was a pink blur. His vision cleared, and he realized that it was Sakura.

"S-Sakura...?"

Sakura's eyes and cheeks were covered with tears. Her usually-neat hair was mussed, and large bags hung under her tired emerald eyes, which were usually filled with lively energy and cheer. She leaned down in a flash and sprawled her arms over Neji's back, careful to avoid his wound, burrowing her face into the back of his head.

"N-Neji..." She sobbed, voice muffled by his hair. Neji couldn't react. He couldn't move from the throbbing pain of his shoulder. This made Sakura cry even harder.

"Neji, I'm so s-sorry! Y-You... almost... you almost died, you idiot!! Why were you in the w-way..." Sakura gasped, and the spasm made her cough. Neji turned his head to the side more. "Sakura. How long have I been unconscious?" Sakura sat up, furiously scrubbing her eyes dry. "I-I think two days." Neji nodded once. "Have they found the gun-man?" Sakura shook her head, tears threatening to well up again. "N-No. But they removed the bullet in your sh-shoulder, and are examining the bullet's ballistic markings right now."

"And have you gotten any sleep over those two days?"

Sakura drooped her head. "N-No."

Neji sighed. "Sakura. Please go to sleep."

Sakura shook her head furiously. "B-But I-!" Neji cut in gently. "Please, Sakura. For my sake, please get some rest." Sakura bit her parched bottom lip, deeply considering. "Finally, she sighed, bobbing her head once. "Ok." She stood up, sighed lightly, and flashed Neji one last smile before turning and padding silently out of the room, closing the door gently behind her.

Neji sighed and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh that he had been holding for a long time. He focused on keeping the dull, throbbing pain of his right shoulder in the back of his head.

Suddenly, just when he was about to fall asleep, the door opened and closed, and light footsteps neared his bed. Neji cracked one eye open, ready to reprimand Sakura, but found himself looking at her mother.

"Er... Ms. Haruno...?" She smiled softly at him as she settled herself by his leg on the bed. "Neji," She said quietly. Hyuuga Neji, correct?" Neji did his best to nod. Her mouth stayed curved into a smile, while her eyes lost their previous sparkle. "You saved my daughters life." Neji nodded again. "Yes-" She interrupted him with her even tone. "And you probably saved my sanity, too."

Neji paused. Confusion. "W-What...?"

She sighed, and her smile swiftly molded itself into a poker-face. "Ever since my husband died and my son began to attend college, Sakura has been my crutch in life. She has been there for me to talk to, to confide in, and when need be, to cry with." The young woman sighed again. "If it weren't for her, I think I would have gone insane."

"When I saw Sakura stumble in through the door and the blood on her face, my heart nearly stopped. And then another shot rang out, and you fell in through the door, splattering blood everywhere..." A faraway, but pained, look entered the woman's eyes. "As I watched Sakura cradle your head in her arms, screaming and crying, I realized how close she came to dying, and how a boy I didn't even know saved her life."

Her gaze refocused on Neji, full of pain and sorrow. "Neji. Sakura and I will never be able to thank you enough."

Neji didn't know what to say. Had Sakura really cried over him, cradling his head...? He didn't know why, but something about that thought made his cheeks flame. Struggling to supress the heat in his cheeks, he nodded at the other woman, not knowing what to say.

She smiled softly, as though she understood his disability. "I just came here to thank you for that little deed of saving my daughter's life." With a motherly smile, she got up and left the room, leaving Neji to his thoughts.

* * *

**A/N**: I ended this chapter this way, mainly because I couldn't think of another way to end it... o.O And sorry about how short this thing is. I was pressured to update soon, so I did. XD 

Ah well. Please **_REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

--Sanded Silk-- ♥


	5. Chapter 5

HMLGFGHERKJFG.

--randomness-- WELL. Moving on; here's the next chappie... and I realize that, in the previous chapter, I said "third chappie" instead of fourth. --doesn't care--

**Disclaimer: ...YOU KNOW WHAT, F THIS!!!!! --throws down keyboard and stalks off-- --not that I was holding the keyboard before (shifty eyes)--**

--Sanded Silk-- ♥

* * *

Neji was finally let out of the hospital, but not without a huge, complicated bandage wound tightly around his shoulder. He flexed it as he walked out of the hospital, and winced lightly at the dull pain that shot through the wound. Sakura walked by him, and her mother walked in front of them. Sakura's hand lingered over his shoulder, rubbing the area around the wound gently, trying to ease the pain. 

Neji's uncle was not in town at the moment, so Neji was going to spend the day- and the night- at Sakura's house, so that he wouldn't be alone if his wound started to act up again. Tomorrow, when his uncle returned, he'd return to his house.

Sakura was quiet on the walk home. She refused to make eye contact with Neji as well. Her mouth was set in a stiff line, and Neji could tell that she had been crying. Her eyebrows were almost subconsciously furrowed. When they finally arrived at her house, she released Neji and ran upstairs to her room. He heard her shut the door, even though she had done so as lightly as possible.

Neji looked questioningly at Sakura's mother, but she turned away from him as well, silent.

Neji stood in the middle of the living room, uncertain. What was going on? Why weren't either of the Harunos talking to him? What was with the cold shoulder??

Sighing, he stalked after Sakura to her room. When he arrived at her door, he knocked.

"Sakura."

Silence. Then, "Wh-What?"

"What's going on?"

"What do you mean, 'What's going on'?"

Sigh. "I'm not stupid or oblivious, Sakura. Something's wrong; something I don't know about."

Silence.

Another sigh. "Sakura."

"Mmph."

"Sakura...?"

Bang. Thud. Shuffle shuffle. Something shattered. "Nngh...AAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!"

Agitation. "Sakura? Is something wrong?"

Struggle. "Nngh..Aahhh...N-Neji..!" Blood-curdling scream.

Footsteps. Sakura's mother appeared around the bend. "N-Neji? What's going on!?"

Before Neji could reply, another scream vibrated through the walls. Multiple bangs were heard. Someone grunted in pain on the other side of the door. Neji banged his fist on the door, frustrated and- to his dismay- scared. "Sakura! What's going on!?"

A muffled scream, which gradually faded into nothing. Another bang. Then, silence.

Neither Neji nor Sakura's mother moved.

Sakura's mother moved first after a long moment of stillness. She stood on the tips of her toes, reached to the top of the door frame, and grabbed a small silver key from the jutting piece of wood. She forced the tip of the silver piece of metal into the keyhole of the door, twisted it, and violently threw the door open. She and Neji rushed in.

Sakura's room was a mess. The sheets on the bed- and a pillow- had been strewn on the ground. Papers scattered the floor, and a glass lamp was on its side, broken, on the ground. Books had been knocked off the shelf. The window hung open, and the curtains floated aimlessly to the beat of the breeze flowing in. The smell of chloroform hung heavily in the air, and Neji had to concentrate on not falling asleep as he quickly surveyed the room.

Neji rushed to the window and looked down. A few branches of the tree outside the window had been broken.

Sakura had disappeared.

Neji turned around to face Sakura's mother. "What happened?"

"H-Huh?! How should I know!?"

Neji shook his head, frustrated. "No no. I mean something else; when I was walking home with you and Sakura earlier today, both of you seemed... distant, distracted."

Sakura's mother flinched and looked away. Neji leaned closer, squinting at the woman before him. "What happened?"

She sighed. "It isn't my position to hide this fact from you any longer, as it is," She murmured, more to herself than to him. "It was you he was after, anyway..."

He was confused. "What?"

When she looked back at Neji, her eyes were brimming with unshed tears of sorrow and pain. "After the forensics team examined the bullet from your shoulder, they tracked the ballistic markings on the bullet to the gun that was used to shoot it. The gun seems to have been bought from a store in Suna."

Neji wasn't getting it. What was so incredibly disturbing about that?

She continued, her voice sounding pained. "The store in Suna is... very close... to my son's college. Very close."

Neji's breath caught sharply in his throat. "Y-You mean...?"

She nodded. "Yes. I suspect my son for targeting Sakura and shooting you by accident."

"B-But he doesn't have a motive!" Neji croaked. Right after those words slipped from his mouth, he realized that there really was a possible motive for Sakura's brother to want Sakura dead. "U-Unless..."

Sakura's mother cocked her head to one side. "Sakura doesn't know this, but I have noticed the lack of talent in my son in contrast to my daughter. I also noticed that, before he left for college, he seemed... distant. Always thinking, always staring at my daughter. I didn't recognize the emotion in his eyes then. But now, I think it may have been hatred."

Neji was stunned.

Sakura's mother faced the open window, brows furrowed. "It seems that Sakura didn't leave this room willingly, considering the amount of wreckage in the room. So I think she was abducted." She paused. "And again, I suspect my son."

Neji tried to talk as calmly as Sakura's mother. "But...but if you report this to the police, then you'll have to tell everyone everything. Everything. They'll ask you why you suspect your son, and you'll have to tell them his supposed grudge against Sakura."

Sakura's mother turned around to stare directly into Neji's eyes. "If that is what I must do to get my daughter back, then that is what I'll do."

Neji hesitated. "Ok," He finally said. "I'll help you get her back." _Not just for your sake_, he thought to himself as he swiftly followed Sakura's mother out the bedroom door. _But for my sake too._

_---_

Telling the police about her son seemed to faze Sakura's mother slightly. She seemed very reluctant to release familial information to strangers, but Neji knew she had no choice if she wanted to pin her son down.

While he sat with the older woman in the living room of the house, listening to the policemen yabber about investigating and finding decisive evidence, Neji noticed a very small keychain on Sakura's backpack, which was sitting, abandoned, by him on the sofa. Curious and desperate for something entertaining, Neji reached over and grabbed the keychain, examining it.

The keychain was a small square piece of plastic with a picture trapped in it. The picture was that of a young man, probably a few years older than Neji. He had unruly pink hair, slightly darker than Sakura's. But unlike Sakura, his eyes were pale hazel. His eyebrows were dipped down slightly, but Neji could tell that it was his natural facial expression, because the skin around his eyebrows was perfectly smooth. His mouth was set in a thin line, neither smiling nor frowning. He stared directly at Neji.

Immediately, Neji's mind went to fantasize that this was a picture of Sakura's brother.

He turned the keychain over. "Haruno Atsuko" was scribbled with blue ink on the back of the picture. The year had been scribbled underneath as well. It was dated from last year. This was most certainly a picture of Sakura's mysterious brother.

Atsuko. It was supposed to mean "kind" and "warm". Neji tried his hardest to refrain from laughing as he dropped the keychain, still staring at the blank expression on the young man's face. What a joke.

A question gradually surfaced onto Neji's mind. Why did Sakura have a picture of her brother on her backpack? She had made it clear that she had been disliked by her brother. If what she said was true, why did she carry around the picture of the boy who hated her so?

Neji frowned, and turned back to face the police officer, still deeply pondering the question.

---

When Sakura finally woke up, she found herself in a messy, apartment-like room, with the blinds drawn and the lights off. The whole room was eerily silent. She sat up groggily, finding her wrists and ankles securely bound. Her hands were tied behind her back- as all criminals did to their hostages. A gag- a piece of rough cloth- had been forced into her mouth.

The after-effects of the chloroform still had her encased in a dull head-ache, and her eyesight was a bit blurry. Her eyeballs would, without warning, twitch every once in awhile, but after blinking rapidly, Sakura managed to slow the twitching.

Bracing herself heavily on the wall, she stood up slowly, in case her legs abruptly gave out underneath her. Breathing deeply, she forced her arms to move, and quickly bent her arms over her head, flexing her shoulders, and brought them down heavily in front of her. Sighing and thanking the gods that she was still flexible, she reached up, grabbed the string hanging from the blinds, and yanked. The blinds flew upwards, and sunlight blinded her. Sakura blinked slightly.

After making sure that the blinds stood in place, she reached up with her hands and pulled the gag out of her mouth painfully. When it was out of her mouth, she stuck her tongue out and rubbed it against her arm, desperate to get rid of the taste.

Finally calming down, she concentrated and bent her hands backward. She twisted the rope lightly, tucking it and pulling it here and there. She quickly recognized the knot as she worked; it was one that her brother had taught her a long time ago. Using her mouth, she finally loosened the rope and slipped her wrists out of the rough material. After rubbing her wrists for a moment, she bent down and quickly untied the rope that was twisted around her ankles.

Still braced against the wall, she glanced around for something to use to notify her mother and Neji. Her eyes caught the wired phone by the wall. Just as she reached over, footsteps- faint and small, but definitely footsteps- echoed outside the main door. Heart racing, Sakura realized that she wouldn't be able to make a call with a wired phone and get details through without being caught by her kidnapper.

In a sudden burst of pure luck, she realized, through her panic, that a cell phone was lying carelessly by the wired phone. She quickly picked it up and slipped it into her pocket. Then, realizing that the footsteps were nearing, she quickly threw open the window and kicked a hole into the screen mesh.

The door opened just as she slipped out, and she turned to take a fleeting look at her kidnapper as she threw herself out the window. All she saw were a head of short pink hair and a pair of wide hazel eyes before the window sill came into view.

--

When the police finally finished blabbing, he did something useful- he set up a search crew to find Sakura. Following the detailed directions to Atsuko's dorm given by Sakura's mother, they surrounded the area and started moving inwards, armed.

Suddenly, a cell phone rang somewhere. Sakura's mother reached into her purse and pulled out her midnight-blue cell phone. One look at the ID was all it took to freeze her limbs. Neji looked at the frozen woman questioningly. He took the cell phone out of her hand and looked at the ID.

Haruno Atsuko.

Without a moment of hesitation, he flipped the cell phone open and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

A young woman's breathless voice came through to his ear. "N-Neji?"

Neji's jaw flew open. "Sakura! Where are you!?" Sakura's mother looked at Neji, wide-eyed.

Sakura sighed. "Neji. Please, don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"Sakura! Tell me! Where are you!?"

"Neji, please. You're scaring me."

Agitation, mixed with relief. "I was scared, Sakura! Really, I was..." And suddenly, he realized that what he was pouring out of his mouth was actually true. He had been scared; scared for the pretty pinkette that disappeared right beneath his nose.

She broke the momentary silence with her angelic, soothing voice. "Please don't panic. It looks like I'm in a college campus."

Pause. "College... campus...?"

Sigh. "Yes. Neji, I think my mother may have told you, but the bullet in your shoulder has opened up the possibility that it was my brother who shot at me and wounded you instead."

"Yes, in fact, your mother did tell me. What about it?"

"...Neji. When I woke up, I was in my brother's dorm."

"...No. You're kidding me."

"No. I mean, yes. I mean... yes, I was in his dorm. When I opened the window to jump out, the main door opened, and I looked back before jumping out. I'm positive that the person who walked in was my brother."

"...Sakura. You're not hurt, are you? He didn't hurt you while you were unconscious, did he!?"

"Please, Neji. No, of course not. I'm on the run. I have his cell phone, so that I can use it as evidence against him. If the police corner and capture him, anyway."

"Sakura. Where are you? I'm at the main entrance of the campus right now. Please, come to where I am. I need to see you."

Calming sigh. "I'm coming, Neji. Don't worry."

--click--

Sakura's mother bombarded Neji with questions. "Where is she? Is she okay!?"

Neji nodded, suddenly tired. "She's fine, and says she's coming to where we are. She took his cell phone before she ran, so that she can use the cell phone as evidence against him if she has to go to court."

"Who is 'him'?"

Neji paused. "...Your son."

Sakura's mother swooned, and caught herself on a nearby telephone pole.

Suddenly, a rustling was heard in a few nearby bushes that framed the outer edges of the campus. Neji spun around. Out of the shadows stepped a rugged-looking, but perfectly healthy, Sakura. Her hair was mussed, and her eyes were greener than usual and full of weary, painful sorrow. When she lifted her porcelain face to look at the main gates, her eyes locked with Neji's eyes.

Neither moved for a long moment. During that still moment, Neji took in Sakura's tired visage. Her hand was braced gently against a tree. Red marks around her wrists indicated the fact that she had been trussed. Her clothes were wrinkled, and the sleeve of her shirt was torn.

Finally, Neji broke the still air. He lunged into a swift sprint, and caught Sakura in a large hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around her weak frame, pulling her up against his chest, burrying his face into her hair as though she was his lifeline. Which actually was kind of the case, really.

Sakura let out a small squeak at his sudden gesture. He ignored her surprise, and shifted his arms, moving his mouth to her ear and whispering intimate things into her ear. He felt the heat of her blush against his jaw.

Then, another pair of arms, thin and tight, pulled both him and Sakura into a bigger hug. It was Sakura's mother, and she had tears in her hazel eyes.

None of the three people standing in the middle of the street and tightly holding one another spoke for a long time.

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**A/N:** --Phew-- Wow. This is possibly the longest chapter I have ever written.

I think everything in this chappie happened too quickly. I don't know- maybe it's just me- but it seems like everything in this chapter should have been in two or three chapters instead. Hrmph. It's probably because this is the longest chappie I've ever written, as I said before... XD

**_REVIEW!!!!!!!1!!!!111!!1ONE_**

--Sanded Silk-- ♥


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